It is known that abdominal distention due to excess weight causes pain. Though not limited to pregnancy, abdominal distention is especially encountered during pregnancy. In this respect, it is known that there is substantial weight gain during pregnancy, especially during the latter 20 gestational weeks. Weight increase during pregnancy may often reach 40 pounds or more with 70% of the increase occurring during the last 20 gestational weeks. This increase is largely due to water retention, an increase in fat reserve, and the weight of the fetus.
It is also known that during pregnancy, the joints, ligaments and muscle structure of the pelvis and spine are particularly lax. The increased joint laxity and elasticity allows an easier adaptation of the pelvic shape to the fetus.
Further, it is known that during pregnancy, due to changes in the hormonal state, relaxation of the ligament and tendon system occurs along with an increase in the level of the progesterone hormone. This relaxation affects the whole body and becomes particularly apparent at the sacroiliac joints and at the pubic symphysis resulting in a greater stretching of the ligaments and a corresponding increase in pain derived from the stress exerted by the swelling of the uterus. At the vertebral level, particularly in the lumbar tract, ligamentous laxity may cause microstrains against the articular facets resulting in lower back pain. Moreover, at the lower lumbar vertebrae and at the lumbosacral passage, where the compressive stress on the vertebral bodies and the vertebral disks concentrate, a greater rate of disk protrusions occurs. The latter are also enhanced by greater laxity of the posterior longitudinal ligament with resulting compression creating lower back pain.
The relaxation of the ligament system during pregnancy also causes a spreading apart of the pelvic bones. In particular, the diastasis of the pubic symphysis causes a symptomatology represented by pubic and lumbosacral nerve pain enhanced by motion making walking difficult.
The above described symptoms are very frequent during pregnancy with an incidence that tends to increase during the course of the pregnancy as the uterine volume and weight increase until reaching its maximum around the end of the eighth month when approximately three women out of four intensely suffer from these conditions.
There are many factors contributing to pain during pregnancy. As the dimension of the abdomen and weight of the uterus increase coupled with relaxation of the abdominal wall, the center of gravity shifts forwards causing lumbar stress. This results in modification of the spine morphology including an abnormal forward curvature of the spine in the lumbar region, a backward shifting of the sacrum causing a progressive verticalization of the lumbosacral angle, a stretching of the sacroiliac joints, and finally a stretching against the pubic symphysis. At times, also sciatic neuralgia from herniated disc-deriving discoradicular compression is developed. To compensate for the above, the shoulders, the neck and the head are brought backwards, and the pelvis is slightly rotated onto the femurs. These modifications in posture induce pregnant women to assume a typical waddling gait with overloading of the vertebrae and of the related intervertebral disks.
Many maternity garments, especially undergarments, have been developed over the years to better support women during pregnancy. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,648 discloses a maternity support top with a built in bra and with a two-inch bellyband that lifts weight off of the pelvis. This garment focuses only on the upper torso of a pregnant woman and does not address the hip or buttock area.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,286 discloses a back and abdominal support worn over the brassiere and under the panties with a supportive band under the abdomen. However, this garment does not smooth and support the hip and buttock areas, but only acts as a supportive piece, not a shaping or smoothing piece.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,181,755 discloses a knit fabric band that is worn over pants that are too tight or too loose, holding them in place. The band is worn as a single layer over the abdomen as it grows. The band, however, does not address the torso or the back and does not act as a support function. Additionally, the band does not provide a shaping function and does not improve the woman's silhouette.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,817,034 discloses a full body slip that shapes and supports the torso, smoothes the thighs, buttocks, and waist. However, an abdominal panel is only supported by a narrow strip and functions solely as a support for the belly. The design disadvantageously prevents the wearer from wearing pants because the full body slip is shaped in a tubular fashion, necessarily extending and reaching far down the leg.
Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0270012 discloses a mild support to shape a woman's body. The garment has a shoulder strap, a belly panel, a hip band, and two side panels, and a back panel made of high performance fabric with varying degrees of compression. Though providing improvement over similar garments such as those described above, it fails to provide full relief from all discomfort resulting from the distended abdomen.
From the above, it is apparent that known maternity support and under garments disadvantageously target only a specific area of the body and solves only a limited number of problem areas. Therefore, a need exists for an all-in-one garment that addresses several areas including the smoothing of a woman's profile, the improvement of her level of comfort, the provision of needed support in all areas impacted by the pregnancy and compliments desired aesthetics.